Wabash County is in good hands. The county’s Emergency Management Program was recently awarded Emergency Management Program of the Year by the State of Indiana.

They scored a 352 out of 396 on an assessment that made them number one in the state out of 92 departments, leading by seven points.

“We knew we were in the hunt,” EMA Director Bob Brown said when asked if he was surprised about the award. “Anything over 300 usually puts you in the top 10 percent.”

The points system is tied to grants the department receives from the Department of Homeland Security, which requires them to score at least a 50 percent.

More good news from the Emergency Management Program is that Assistant Director Keith Walters received a Professional Emergency Management Certification. He is the only person in the county with this certification, and one of 22 people statewide to receive it this year.

Walters had to complete 200 hours of training, write a 1,500-word essay, have six professional contributions to emergency management in the community and pass a 100-question test to receive his certification.

The certification must be renewed every five years, which requires 200 additional hours of training.